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Louis Charles, Duc de Brabant
Louis Charles Augustin de France '''(2nd November 1700 - 6th August 1759) was the younger brother of King Charles XII, and the youngest child of King Charles XI and Queen Marie Josephe. He was born posthumously, his father having died around two months prior to his birth. Originally known as ''Duc d'Alencon, ''this title was eventually traded for ''Duc de Brabant, ''after his brother had conquered the Austrian Netherlands during the War of the Austrian Succession and subsequently granted the title to Louis Charles. In spite of this, Louis Charles was known for his famously negative relationship with his elder and more remarkable brother. He was known to be a jealous individual, filled with envy at his brother's fame and his huge desire to rule himself and to prove himself as good as his brother. It can be said that he was forced to live in the shadow of Charles XII, though he did not resign to this fate. He was known to constantly try to prove his worth. As the only brother of the King, he was known by the customary style ''Monsieur, ''and as the son of a King he was a ''Fils de France ''(son of France). He was also known for his extremely libertine practices, creating scandal within the Royal Family. Biography '''Birth and Events Louis Charles was born on November 2nd, 1700 at the Tuileries Palace, Paris. He was the youngest child of the now deceased King Charles XI and the now Queen-Regent Marie Josephe, who had been left pregnant after the death of the King. He was thus born in a unique situation, being born a posthumous child and still during the reign of his brother, Charles XII. Thankfully, despite the stress of her husband's death and the new responsibility of government, there was no difficulty in Marie Josephe's delivery of Louis Charles. The birth was rejoiced as it was a successful delivery and provided the King with a clear heir should he die childless. His mother, in her power as regent, conferred upon him the title of Duc d'Alencon, and as the only brother of the King he became known at court as Monsieur ''from the very day of his birth. Louis Charles' birth was a bittersweet event for the family, due to the circumstances of King Charles XI having died just two months earlier. Nonetheless, he was loved by his family. His uncle, Auguste Philippe, seemed angered that he had to share his title of ''Monsieur, ''with the main title passing to Louis Charles due to actually fulfilling the now requirements for the style. Auguste Philippe, meanwhile, was sometimes referred to as ''le Grand Monsieur ''as a courtesy. Due to his poorly timed arrival, some doubted that Louis Charles was even a son of King Charles XI, though as he grew his parentage was undeniable. Further, it was said that King Charles was still perfectly healthy at what would've had to have been the time of conception, making it perfectly acceptable to consider his parentage true. He was born in a unique time, with the throne occupied by his two-year-old brother. Louis' entire life would take place during the reign of his brother, something which he would come to envy and loathe over the years. '''Early Childhood' Louis was brought up alongside the King at the Tuileries Palace, in the care of a small army of governesses, nannies and tutors. He shared much of his upbringing with his brother, though more resources and a greater standard was put into the King's upbringing due to the greater importance of the King in their eyes. Louis was generally overlooked during his childhood in favour of Charles, something which inevitably began to turn Louis against his brother. In the meantime, Louis took solace in his love for animals and music. He owned a pet dog in his youth, which he named Comte ''(lived 1701 - 1718). While he did receive a certain degree of attention as the heir presumptive to the throne of his brother between 1700 and 1714 (until the birth of his nephew Louis Alphonse), it was nowhere near a healthy amount of notice for a young boy. Much of this treatment has been amounted to neglect of the young Louis, which undoubtedly had a negative effect on him. He isolated himself for much of his childhood, rarely speaking with many people. He spent much of his time in his hobbies. Queen-Regent Marie Josephe was often critiqued for the poor treatment and care of her younger son, as she seemingly doted upon the elder Charles throughout their entire childhoods. Louis received attention from only his governess, Louise Antoinette Josephine de Foix and his elder sister, Marie-Therese Xaviere, who was four years his senior. He grew close to Xaviere, who both felt the form of ''"benign neglect" ''as it was described by one courtier. He was described by Xaviere as, ''"Kind and jovial, always full of spirit and humour. His laugh could fill a room, and all of a sudden the whole mood would be lifted". ''At age six, as was custom, Louis was taken from de Foix and placed into the care of a governor, Leopold Joseph de Lorraine, ''Duc de Liege, who was a notable courtier who held a place on the Conseil du Roi under the regency as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Liege would be particularly hard on Louis, though the former claimed that it was for his own benefit and that the boy needed "tough love" ''to flourish in his own place. Louis himself would be extremely unhappy during this time, growing up with the feeling of isolation and a lack of true affection in his world. '''Formal Education and Adolescence' It was true that the young Louis Charles possessed a certain intellect and skill, not unlike his brother. He was taught from a very young age to remember his station, however, and never to attempt to outshine his brother. There was a large amount of ambition in Louis Charles, and thus he was often left chafing under the power and importance of his brother. Category:Fils de France Category:Monsieur (brother of the King) Category:18th Century Births Category:18th Century Deaths Category:House of Artois Category:French Princes